It’s time to meet another debut author: say hello to science-fiction writer Greg Chivers.
Tell us a little about your book and how you came to write it
The Crying Machine is a sci-fi thriller about a heist to steal a mysterious ancient artefact, the Antikythera Mechanism. The Mechanism exists in the real world and it is a genuine archaeological mystery – an ancient Greek analogue computer fashioned from bronze cogs more than two thousand years ago. Despite decades of research, we don’t know who built it or how they did it – it seems too advanced to be a product of the ancient world, and yet there it is. Writing the novel allowed my imagination to run riot, playing with mythology and technology to reinvent world history and place the mysterious mechanism at the centre of everything.
What makes your book unique?
It’s an action-packed heist story, but there’s also some heavyweight thinking in there. You get daring crime, with ingenious set-pieces, happening in a setting (near-future Jerusalem) that allows me to tackle big issues like the migrant crisis and how AI is going to change the world.
Which part of being published were you most excited about before your book came out?
I was excited about anyone spending time, effort and money to assemble my imaginings into an actual, physical book. I was also excited about my publisher – Harper Voyager is the Sci-Fi and fantasy imprint for Harper Collins, and that puts me (somewhere) on a list with Ray Bradbury and George RR Martin. It doesn’t get any better than that!
What has been the most challenging part of your journey to publication?
The timescale is hard to deal with. As a debut author you’re very excited and raring to do, but big publishers are busy and you have to wait your turn. Then when you get your edits, you’ve got to get down to work straight away. It’s difficult to keep your emotions in check and then shift gears quickly.
Do you have a writing mentor, or someone who has influenced your work?
I wrote The Crying Machine while on a writing course run by Curtis Brown Creative. It was excellent, and terrific fun too. The tutor, Charlotte Mendelson, was a literary novelist rather than a sci-fi fan, but I think that really helped the book. She immediately understood what I was trying to do. The advice she gave was very simple, but immensely valuable.
If there was one book that you could have written, other than your own, what would it be and why?
Can I do two? Frank Herbert’s Dune is etched into my soul. Like me, he builds a future world from fragments of real history, but he does it on a grander scale than I would ever dare. When you look beneath the trappings of the epic space saga, it is a novel filled with real human insight, which is what I strive for above everything.
Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven is possibly the most beautiful book I’ve read in recent years. The prose is exquisite without ever being self-conscious, and the post-apocalyptic storyline manages to be curiously optimistic, and makes a strong case for the absolute necessity of art and beauty as the antidote to despair.
What advice would you give to other writers hoping to publish a novel?
Perfectionism is the enemy! Write a load of old crap that’s totally wrong, and be wrong as many times as it takes to be right. Oh, and definitely don’t give up your day job.
Is there a debut novel you’re particularly looking forward to reading in 2019?
I’m eagerly awaiting my copy of For Emily by Katherine Slee, which is coming out from Orion books later this year. She’s an intelligent, precise writer who always delivers satisfying twists in her stories.
About the author
Greg Chivers is a writer and television producer. When he’s not plotting future crimes, he works as a showrunner for science and history documentaries for US cable networks.
The Crying Machine is out now in hardback, audiobook and ebook. The paperback comes out on October 31st and is available at Amazon and Waterstones. Visit Greg’s website or follow him on Twitter.
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